Armor-piercing tracing-bullet



W. L. CLAY L C. BEATTY AND D. G. BAKER.

ARMOR PIERCING TRACING 'BULLET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 1919.

1,384,01 l Patented July 5, 1921;

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/5 e A? m UNITED STATES PATENT} OFFICE,

WALLACE L. CLAY AND JOHN C. BEATTY, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND DICKERSON G. BAKER, OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ABMOR-PIERGING TRACING-BULLET.

' Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed May 2, 1919. Serial No. 294,278.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALLACE L. CLAY,

'lieut. col., Ordnance Department, United States Army, at present stationed at Frankford Arsenal, JOHN C. BEATTY, lieut. col., Ordnance Department, United States Army, at present stationed at Washington, District of Columbia, and DICKERSON Gr. BAKER, all citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of'Bridesburg, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, Washington, District of Columbia, and Greenfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts, have jointly invented an Improvement in Armor-Piercing Tracing-Bullets, of which the' following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its oflicers or employees in prosecution of work for the (urovernment, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a device for denoting the location ofan objective for a fire arm and commonly known as armor piercing tracing bullets, to enable a gunner to so aim or adjust the fire arm as to accurately place the shot, and has for one of its objects to produce a bullet which will not only penetrate armor but which also carries a tracer composition operating to enable the bullet to be traced in its flight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having means whereby the-vapor and light producing composition is protected during the flight of the projectile, and the emanations controlled and directed.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device of this character having means whereby the protecting device is utilized to receive the rifling during its passage through the gun.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful improvements hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved projectile. I

l ig. 2 is a side elevation of the projectile without the cap.

Fig. 8 is a detached side elevation ofthe protecting. cap.

The improved projectile comprises a body 10 pointed at'theforward or'penetrating end and reduced in 'diameter toward the rear as shown at 11. The rear part of the pointed body is cylindrical in outline with its sides in parallel relation, while the sides of the reduced part also extend in, parallel relation.

Patented July 5, 1921.

At its juncture with the forward larger part or body of the projectile the part 11 is .still further reduced to form an annular channel 12 as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

The reduced part of the body is formed hollow, or with a rearwardly directed cavity or pocket, to contain a vaporand light producing substance or compound, indicated at 14.

Bearing over the reduced rear part 11 of the body of the projectile is a cap or ferrule 15 having its-open end reduced as shown at 16, and secured in position by compressing or crlmplng the same 1nto the channel 12 v and thereby firmly securing the cap in position] At its rear end the cap is formed with an aperture 17 providing means for the entrance of a portion of the flame from the firing charge, not shown, to ignite the contents 14 of the projectile.

The outer face of the cap 15 is slightly greater in diameter than the body portion 10, so that the cap will take the rifling when the projectile is fired. The cap 15 is formed of a brittle metal which is readily fractured by impact or by other pressure producing means.

A projectile thus constructed will not only penetrate armor but also by carrying the tracer composition emit a cloud or vapor throughout the flight by daylight and a light or flash during the flight by night.

The tracerromposition will burn throughout a flight of about 300 or 400 yards. and will thus enable the gunner to trace the flight of the projectile for that distance.

Having thus described the invention what v all containing a substance forproducing a visible vapor and a flash of light, and a cap engaging over the reduced POIt-lOIl fiIld having an aperture through which the vapor and.

flash producing substance is ignitible.

2. A tracer projectile including a body having an armor piercing portion and a reduced rear portion, the reduced portion having an annular channel at its juncture with the forward portion and likewise provided with a rearwardly opening recess containing a substance for producing a visible vapor and a flash of light, and a cap engaging over the reduced portion and directed at its edge into the channel, said cap having an aperture through which the vapor and flash producing substance is ignitible.

3. A tracer projectile including an armor piercing body portion having a rearwardly VVALLAGE L. CLAY. JOHN C. BEATTY. DICKERSON G. BAKER. 

